1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to interpreting medical data, and more particularly relates to a system and method for interpreting electrocardiogram data.
2. Related Art
An electrocardiogram is an electrical recording of the heart and is used in the investigation of heart disease. Typically, the individual electrical measurement patterns are printed on a paper tape in a compressed format and the doctor, based upon his or her knowledge, interprets the result to ascertain whether irregularities in the working of the heart can be seen. The compression of the data and printing on paper does not allow for an analytical method to be used on the raw data to allow for quantification and comparison of that raw data except by the comparison by the doctor of the apparent pattern of measurements that are printed on the paper print out. A major benefit of using an electrocardiogram test is that it is a relatively quick and non-invasive procedure. Unfortunately, this approach is only about 65% effective in the determination of arterial blockage to the heart.
Accordingly, if the doctor is unsure of the proper diagnosis, the next step may be a CARDIOLITE® Technetium Tc99m Sestamibi test. (CARDIOLITE is a registered trademark of the E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company Corporation of Wilmington, Del.). CARDIOLITE is a tool for diagnosing coronary artery disease and identifying patients at risk for heart attacks and heart disease. The CARDIOLITE kit consists of a small protein named sestamibi that is marked with a radiopharmaceutical, technetium Tc99m sestamibi. It is injected into a patient intravenously and travels through the bloodstream to the heart. A patient undergoing a “rest-and-stress” exam receives two injections of CARDIOLITE, one while at rest and one while vigorously exercising on a stationary bike or treadmill. Pictures taken with a special camera during each of the two sessions allow doctors to visualize the radioactive tracer in the heart. Doctors then compare the pictures from the resting and stressful sessions to determine if the blood supply to the heart is being blocked. This is a costly procedure but not particularly invasive.
If the tools to perform a CARDIOLITE test are not available, a more invasive technique involving an angiogram may be selected. In an angiogram, a flexible catheter or tube is inserted into an artery, usually in the groin area, and guided through the arterial system into the heart and into the coronary arteries. A dye is then injected through the catheter into the bloodstream and x-rays of the heart and coronary arteries are taken. This technique is somewhat more dangerous than the CARDIOLITE test, but is usually quite diagnostic.
Unfortunately, both of the CARDIOLITE and angiogram tests have significant drawbacks, either in terms of costs or invasiveness. Instead, it would be preferable to rely on the results of the electrocardiogram test to make a more accurate diagnosis. Accordingly, a need exists for a more effective system for reading and/or analyzing the electrocardiogram test results using statistical and artificial intelligence algorithms as a means for this analysis.